Portugal announces increase in the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly.

The monthly reference amount for the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly (CSI) will go up from €670 to €720, representing an increase of €50 (about 7.5per cent), with the change coming into effect on 1 January 2027.

This measure was announced by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro on the International Day of Older Persons and will figure in the 2027 State Budget proposal with the aim of increasing the income of people who are experiencing greater economic vulnerability.

This adjustment is in line with the government's pledge to gradually raise the reference benefit to €870 by 2029, which would amount to a total increase of around €170 from the level in effect in April 2024.

Who qualifies

The scheme is designed for low-income elderly people who have reached the official retirement age—this being 66 years and 11 months for the year 2027—and who have lived in Portugal for at least six consecutive years.

The amount of €720 is a reference figure, not a set payment; the real amount of support is equal to the difference between the beneficiary's actual income and this ceiling. In the case of current recipients, Social Security will automatically recalculate and update their benefit with no need for a new application.

Growing support

The fact that the programme has grown is shown by the extent of its social impact: in June 2026 coverage was provided to 245,500 beneficiaries, as compared with about 140,000 in spring 2024.

This rise in the number of people covered is due not only to the successive increases in the reference value but also to recent regulatory changes, for example the removal of children's income as an exclusion criterion. Together with the financial payment, having the status of a CSI beneficiary entitles people to prescription medicines at a reduced price.

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